Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 3736, James Fraley, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Fraley James
R. 3736
CONTENTS

State of Kentucky County of Floyd
on this day of June 1834 personally appeared before the undersigned one of the commissioners Justice of the peace for said county James Farley who resident of said county Kentucky aged seventy five years of age who being first duly sworn according to law, dith on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7. 1832 - That he entered the service of the United States, and served under the following named officer as herein stated - Colo William Brant Cant. Indys. for nine months, as an Indian spy in the County of Washington, and State of Virginia, this was the 3 rd March as he now recites 1779. his employment was to scout & spy - he served with no Continental officers, or militia regiments, during the period of his tour - and traveled and spied during that year on the frontier of the State bordering on the Clinch River Settlements in the County of Floyd. The spies did not go all together, by two, & by fours, chiefly as troops he marched and spent during the months of April, May, June not far from fort in the Clinch River known by Moores fort situated about a mile from Clinch River - in this fort there was constantly about 20 regulars and 20 or 25 men besides the spies out - the Indians were not so troublesome in the immediate vicinity of Moores fort, but they were more troublesome in the country on Clinch and Roanoke Valley - in August the Wyans dots from the north appeared in our vicinity where out he saw Indian signs , three persons only were killed in his neighborhood. to wit John English's wife, Molly, and two of her little boys -

the indians retreated down Sandy and they were pursued by the spies as well as the others who remained in the fort to guard it - The men unable to overtake the indians, they had stole some horses - These are the particular circumstances that occurred. The spies had particular sections allotted to them, where the war paths of the indians passed, and some time we would not return, unless a clear sign was seen for a month. But in August and September the indians were always the most troublesome in stealing, murdering, and burning - They spies below had a running fight with the indians and they retreated - This was with the lower squads. He used his discharge - since May about the 10 th Dec r 1779 for nine months service, he thinks it was a kind of recommendation & stating his service to get his pay - he has never seen it since - The man who stood with him this year as his companion was - La grass Dawson -
2 d In April the date has escaped him - 1780. He enlisted for one year, in the County of Washington and state of Virginia as an indian spy under Col. Camel. Capt Snoddy again Lieut. Colonel. to spy in the same section - The spies were not recruited to find themselves. They lived on venison & bear meat, early in June. The indians made their appearance in his quarter of Washington County. They fired at many horses. in July they killed one Boston, and stole two girls to wit Ann, & Mary Bus. and made off for Canada, they succeeded in getting down on the waters of Sandy until they as far as Furney's Creek in Floyd County about 12 miles from the court house - at that time there was not a single white person living in

Flag county. It was entirely an indian country then. our company came up to the indian when they were in the act of skinning a buffalo they had just killed, our men fired on the indians and they retreated to the camp about 200 yards distant, and as they were by they tomahawked Sam Bush, Mary jumped down the bank and escaped any violence. Sam Bush got over it, and afterwards married, and was again tomahawked by the indians after that. Sam & still survived. - our company lost in the running fight only one man. James Cagle. When the indians retreated from the camp, he followed, and as he now recalls, shot only one indian slipped behind a tree top, fired & mortally wounded. When he was carried back to Clinch and died in Moresfort. The father of this applicant being father was the surgeon that extracted the bullet, he served with no continental affair or military companies. with him he marched or rather sped in the same section of army that he did the year previous. When the war ended they enlisted under the terms of arrangement that they could be retained for one year, or discharged at 9 months in January. at the end of 9 months we were all discharged. The Shawonees then had killed several persons down the river the lower settlements were in a bad situation in that fall as Colo. Camp had taken many of the frontier men with their rifles to Kings Mountain some of which had to break up their forts to come back up home to the mouth fork of Holston

tho' he blames, are chiefly the circumstances, as he now remembers them, that occurred during the year 1780. Col. Campbell was the Col. of Washington County, but he never was in company with spies, but it was under his orders. His Captain acted. - Campbell was killed and Col. Henry Smith succeeded him as he now remembers, during this service. Lazarus Dawson who enlisted the 2 d time when he & Fraley and  dis agreed spied as his comrade. The spies were divided out in twos -
3. a The first day of March 1781. he again enlisted for nine months in Washington County, Virginia. to spy that season under Col. Smith & Capt. Cowan. His range was changed. He and Samuel Frazier spied together that nine months on the head waters of Cumberland and Kentucky river. The Shawano came up there the most frequent, a portion of the country he spied in is now Perry County, Kentucky, & Harlan, Ky. it was all then. This year the Shawano done more injury than any year since 1775 or 1776. When the Cherokee attacked the Clinch forts. in his neighborhood they killed Col. Kindrick. They run him into Clinch river, and shot and killed him in the river, the men from fort. Salied out, they got Kindrick's body in the river, and took him & buried him in Beckley's Fort. They also killed the wife of John Kealco.

and four of his children, and set the house on fire and burnt them up in it. from August till the leaves were pretty near all fallen down. an indian sign was fresh and they killed, burnt, and scalped a great many persons that fall down Clinch and on Powell river, & valley. he thinks that there was another murder that year. committed by the indians. one of Hays daughters. but it might have been the year after - he had his discharge - for the nine months service.
He then in the month of May 1782 was again engaged for a Rhy. for nine months in the same County, & state of? he was to get 5. dollars per day. & spinning was a good business as the state paid her spurs in good money. Col Smith was like the col and Capt Charles Beckley. was the Captain of the Spies, Colonel was Mad. Major - He was transferred from Moores fort, to Beckleys fort. but he served a portion of his time at Blackamores fort. his range this year. was from Elk Garden, down as far as Cove Creek. his Comrade was Austin Bush. he spied as usual in that section of the country - the indians.

Come more than usually early, and, the circumstances of his service, and the events that transpired during 1782 are about these. He sped altogether on the Clinch water, and consequently altogether in Virginia, our settlements were attacked, and the Indians killed Thomas Osburn, and during his absence which he states, he helped bury the in the same coffin as  in the same , —
They took two girls, prisoners, to wit — Lucentia Osburn the niece of Thomas Osburn. and Belsey Wall, no child of all that could be done they took off the girls to Canada, and kept Lucentia Osburn four years. Belsey Wall the Indians killed by beating her on the head as he learnt, Lucentia Osburn, was exchanged and brought to Detroit, she there married one Armstrong, who brought her back to Va., and from whom he learnt the fate of Belsey Wall about the same time or a few weeks after they killed Mary Hamlin wife of Henry Hamlin and me Isaac Newland, these are not half the murders only those saw his range during the revolution. He states,

He is the identical man that killed the celebrated plunderer and Indian Chief, Bench , not Benj he states that he fought the Indians in 1777 & 1778. but he is informed as it was under no organized Corps, that the same need not be set forth. - he is now very infirmer, in body, and has is unable to attend on court, he never took any care of his papers and therefore his discharge has been lost for a great while, he assigns as a reason for submitting his declaration as Floyd's estate is that he could not get a person there to do his business. that knew him. That last place was a year in employment a man who  to do for for me two he said never got any forms. 2 d It is more convenient to attend at the justice's in Floyd's than in Lawrence, he can establish his three years by many living witnesses.

He has no documentary evidence in his favor. He has all along lived on the backwood, and a hunter he never served with any continental officer. nor did he ever see one, to his recollection, he moved to this country many years since, he was born in North Carolina, in Rowan county. He hereby relinquishes every pension or annuity except the present, & declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed this 23 rd day of June 1834
James X  mark Pringle
And the said court do hereby declare my Opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states, and I further certify that I believe he is the age he says, and that from bodily infirmity he cannot attend court,
Given here under my hand as one of the Commonwealth, Justice of the Peace for Plauty this 23 rd day of June 1834
Daniel Hays J. P.

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
RECEIVED
3236
P. O.
James Miley Service:
Enlisted: , 18
Discharged: , 18
Application filed: , 18
Alleges:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P. O.
Recognized.
Contract.

Suspended
See letter to Hon B. M. Johnson 26 Feb. 1835
3786

31965
James Buckley
St. Louis
Mo.
June 15
Mr. Frazier _____
Cabin Creek Virginia Falls not Schu...
160 N. W. 10th...
St. L.

State of Kentucky
Floyd County Court Clerk's office set.
I, Robert Hays, clerk of the Court for said County hereby certify that David Hays is a Justice of the Peace for said County, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his, is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this day of office in the year my seal of office thereof, and subscribed my name. this 29 th day of August 1834
Robt. Hays Clerk

Deposition of Marshall P. Osborne -

State of Kentucky
Floyd County Sept.
John Marshall an aged man being called on to state what he knows of the services of James Fraley who is an applicant for a pension state, that he resided in the western part of Virginia during the revolution, and that he was well acquainted with Fraley during that period, and that said Fraley served as an indian spy during the year 1780, and that he said Fraley had served the year before 1779 both nine months. That he also served in the following years 1780 for nine months, and also nine months in 1782. The three last years service he knows of from the fact of seeing the services or the most of them performed by the said Fraley the other service was rendered before he came from Virginia Virginia. He states that Fraley was selected as an indian spy in consequence of his skill as a hunter, and in particular use of the rifle, he states that for a great many years they both (Fraley & himself) lived in the

County for the same Water course he has been acquainted with him ever since - he states that said Wray did tell as he was informed  the  he says the place stated by him in his declaration, there is no doubt, but said Wray served the whole time stated by him, and much longer - and further this deponent saith not
John Marshall
Floyd County.
I certify that John Marshall whose oaths to the above statement are hereby that said Marshall is a credible witness
Given from under my hand and seal this 25 th day of June 1834
Joseph Edwards P.P.O.
State of Kentucky
Floyd County court clerk's office set-
I Jacob Mayo clerk of the court for said county hereby certify that Joseph Edwards is a justice of the peace and that the above signature is genuine
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this 24 th day of August 1834 - see Jacob Mayo C. of P.

State of Kentucky
Floyd County and Circuit Court
I John Ausborne of Floyd County State of Kentucky being called on to state what he knows of the services of James Fraley of Lawrence County Kentucky as a soldier of the revolution - before the revolution his father moved to Clinch in Washington County Virginia we all had to fight from the Indians that he became acquainted with James Fraley during the revolution Fraley was a man grown but he (Orbum) was not, but he will remember Fraley's services, and he thinks that he was in the same Fort, which protected for more than three years. he himself did not serve with Fraley about that time he was too young but has a perfect distinct recollection of the performance of all the services, stated by him, and

much more that he has not stated. He states that he was killed in Moore's fort, and also in Thomas Osborne's fort, who was murdered by the Indians, as stated by Fraley in his declaration. He has a perfect recollection of the capture of Beloy, Wall and Lucius Osborne. Lucius was my own Cousin, then He states that S d Fraley killed the Indian Chief Bench . That was the Indian name as engraved on his border horn as he was informed. When the Indian was killed he then lived in the same place where did, & though he did not see Fraley kill the Indian yet he is well convinced of it as he could see of any thing - he has seen the place, as to the death of Fraley's son he cannot state but he was in the character of a spy before the battle of Kings Mountain.

and afterwards. The fact is that Halely was engaged as a soldier and spy ever since he could recite till the close of the revolution & afterwards. for the Indians did not cease when the revolution ended. I have given this detailed statem- ent because I was an eye witness to many of the scenes, & know from own knowledge of his Halely's services as rendered by him & much more than he has stated as a soldier of the revolution. I have herunto set my hand and seal & depose to the above this 22 day of August 1834. John Osborn
Kentucky 6 m.
I do certify to the war department that John Osborn who signed & swore to the above deposition is a credible witness, and full faith, credit

and release is due to John Gibson statement above.
Given from under my hand this 22 day of August 1834
Samuel K. Friend
State of Kentucky
Floyd County Court Clerks Office Set.
I Jacob Mays clerk of the court for the county aforesaid do hereby certify that Samuel K. Friend is a Justice of the Peace, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine. Given
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office thereto this 29th day of August 1834.
Jacob Mays Clerk

Dec 23 P. O. Box 684 R. R. Box 6 Hon. R. H. Johnson
Washington City D. C. / 1842

Dec 6 th 1834
Dear Sir. In Sept. I sent an order to you to give Kings of Maryland, Mary, and Johnson, and one from Front all from Pike, than rec d no answer on the subject, and perhaps they were never rec d , in the case of Fraley I send back without any amendment, and, since rec d yours. I learn that he has is now in Cabell County Virginia at his son's in law, and in lands remaining Cabell is one side of Sandy river and Laurence County on the other, and 13 of Sandy is the line between the state of Ky & Va, It nearer to Lexington by 750 miles than Richmond, and it will be more convenient to Lexington The application may be returned and, from Va, & payment, should to either place, send back to me to Frankfort Ky, H C Harn

Coe J. L. Edwards
Ann. P. the Volume 1872

War Department Pension Office December 27, 1834
Sir,
The papers of James Fraley have been again examined, and they are herewith returned. The testimony in support of the applicant's statement is satisfactory, but it is very doubtful whether his services were of that character which would bring his case within the provisions of the act of June 7, 1832. If the State of Virginia authorized by special act the employment of officers to serve as set forth by the placement, a copy of said act should be transmitted to this Office with the enclosed papers. He alleges that he enlisted to serve under the order of Col. Campbell. The officers to whom he alludes belonged to the militia, and the service under him was for short terms.
The names of Robert Albin, James Stewart, and John Johnson were returned to you on the 11 th inst. for amendments. Mr. Vancil's letter is inclosed.
I have the honor to be
Very respectfully
Your obedt Servt
J. Edwards
Wm. R. H. Johnson Miner of Appearances